His Little Henpi
by Ano-Hitori-Chichi
Summary: Sesshomaru has had a guardian since the day he was born, his guardian is the rock, sunk deep into the earth, that he clings to as the crashing waves of life and hardship beat against his back. YaoiSlash, Onesided mention of Inu no TaishouHenpi Harry
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Inuyasha fanfic! Go me! There will be a slight mention here and there of a one-sided Inu no Taishou/ Henpi (Harry) and a platonic Inuyasha/Henpi but the main pairing I think will be Sesshomaru/Henpi. I don't know if I'll put the Wizarding World into the story, but I probably will put how he got to ancient Japan later on in the story. I'll give Harry many powers that make him desirable in the Demon community; like knowledge, power, etc. It's very sgort I know and I was going to put more on but decided this would be a good length for an introduction.**

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**_His Little Henpi_**

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There had always been four demon clans that governed the land. The Dog Tribe of the West, The Panther Tribe of the East, The Wolf Tribe of the North, and The Snake Tribe of the South. These clans had lived together in relative peace for longer then anyone could remember, and so when one of the clans was blessed with an heir to the throne, the whole demon community rejoiced.

So it was that when the Dog tribe, more powerful then the others, was born a prince, the demons were merrier then any human could remember them ever being.

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Inu no Taishou tightened the embrace in which he held his first born child and son, Sesshomaru, ever so slightly as the voices of demons celebrating in the grand hall reached his ears. He knew his son was going to grow up fast under the scrutiny of the demon nobles and councils, not to mention the other rulers and their families.

Though he would never admit it aloud, he was afraid for his son.

His wife Hanayoru was a beautiful demoness and even now with his son not even one month old he could tell he would be beautiful. Even if he somehow clung to his innocence and childhood through the first centuries of his life, Inu no Taishou knew that people would be doing everything in their political power to gain Sesshomaru as a mate for a child of their families.

His son would need a guardian. A rock, sunk deep into the earth, to cling to as the crashing waves of life and hardship beat against his back.

He knew of only one man for the duty of protecting his first-born.

Henpi.

No one knew really where he had come from. Rumors flew that he was a man from beyond the great seas; others said that he had serpentine characteristics and must be from the south. No one knew for sure. Not even Inu no Taishou.

He might not know from whence he came, but he had served with the Great-Dog for almost three centuries, and he trusted him with his life, with the life of his son…

The sound of the door opening and closing quietly brought him out of his thoughts, turning around he came face to face with the man he was entrusting the future of his lands with.

Henpi, like the name Inu no Taishou had given him the day he had found him in the middle of a battle field, was a secluded man, whose impossibly green eyes were always watching, and whose lithe frame could sneak up even the Lord of the West. His shaggy black hair fell about his face and shoulders, giving him an untamable look, while the lightest suggestion of scales by the hairline behind his neck and slited emerald eyes gave him a snake-like quality. He was small and shorter then most and looked far to young to do most of the gruesome jobs his lord asked him to do.

Henpi crept forward on silent feet and bowed deeply before his lord and master.

Inu no Taishou's eyes softened somewhat, he cared for his wife and he adored his child.

But he loved his little Henpi.

Holding out his arms he gave a silent permission to Henpi to take the child into his own arms. With Sesshomaru snuggly in his own embrace the warrior-general looked at the head of the Dog demon tribe for his orders.

" Protect him with your life, spare him the greater hardships and heart brakes. He is now your reason to exist." Inu no Taishou felt something die in him then, for he knew that there would no longer be a special place for him in Henpi's heart. He now lived, breathed, and would one day die for Sesshomaru.

Henpi looked down at the precious bundle in his arms and missed his lord's sad eyes.

Sesshomaru looked up at him and gave the smallest of baby smiles, which in turn brought one of his own, long forgotten ones out.

As the three demons stood in grief, determination, and childish acceptance the wind blow through the open window and combed threw Henpi's hair, revealing a lightning bolt shaped scar…

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**There wo go Hoped you liked it, I certainly do!**

** Please review**

** Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

Twelve Years Later 

Sesshomaru laughed quietly to himself. He loved playing Hide-and-Seek with his retainers, they could never find him! All except-

" Sesshomaru," came the disapproving growl.

All except Henpi, his personal guard.

Sesshomaru turned around and gave a nervous smile. He knew that he would probably be scolded for this, it was near the annual winter ball and he was supposed to be preparing with his father.

" H-hello Henpi-nii…"

He couldn't dodge the swift cuff upside the head, and he knew no matter how hard he trained, he probably never could.

" Foolish, pup!" Hissed Henpi, his reptilian accent slipping through in his anger. " You know how important this ball is, for your father, for the tribe, for _you!_"

Sesshomaru bowed his head, he hated making Henpi mad. " I'm sorry Henpi…"

The older demon titled his head slightly back and forth, as if weighing his response, before huffing and picking the prince up by the scruff of his kimono, something that deepened Sesshomaru's shame. He hated being treated like a child, though he still was one, and Henpi knew this and used it as part of his punishment.

When they came to the Great-Dog's chambers Henpi put down his charge and opened the door for him to enter, without glancing at him once.

Sesshomaru ducked his head and stepped in to find his father at his desk going over reports from across the province.

" I understand why you wish to run around and play Sesshomaru." His father's baritone washed over him like water. " But acting like a child in public is not tolerable, and you know this." Pushing some papers aside he continued, " I wish for you to stay an innocent child for as long as possible, but in the sight of others you must act refined, even if it is only a mask of the court. As the Dog-prince you must be able to weave through many political things and still not show the side you take, or the opinion you have." The family's trademark gold eyes lifted to pierce into his own, " So refrain yourself from making a public fool of the family! A child's body you may have, but a demon's mind and soul you also have, you must act beyond your years child, and caution in what you do."

Sesshomaru felt like shrinking in on himself, it was horrible to face his father's wrath, and very embarrassing! Henpi, who usually kneeled by his side in silent support, stood behind him by the door, leaving him alone to his punishment.

After what seemed like hours of silence, which was only a few tense minutes, his father dismissed him and he quickly, but composedly, left the room and made his way to his wing of the palace and his own chambers. He slammed the door shut behind him and leapt under the covers of his futon, burying himself in an attempt to hide from the shame.

" Staying under there will do no good Sesshomaru-sama." Was Henpi's gentle reprimand.

When the prince didn't respond, Henpi went over to the table where the servants had laid out Sesshomaru's clothes for the ball. It was a beautiful navy-blue kimono with silver snow elegantly embroidered on the sleeves and lower-hem, navy-blue was also the color of his hakama with snow along the bottom, and a silver sash to close the kimono lay beside the garments, all made from the finest silks.

" You should try these on Sesshomaru-sama, so adjustments can be made if necessary."

The prince said nothing as he crawled out and put on the clothes with Henpi's help here and there, but when he was done he narrowed his eyes and addressed his retainer.

" Are you going to be wearing anything nice for the party Henpi?"

It was common knowledge that the warrior-general liked the simpler things in life, and only went to the fancy gatherings to guard Sesshomaru.

The snake-like man bowed his head, " If you wish it of me Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru gave a sharp nod, but was grinning like a fool on the inside, " You should wear the snake one."

Henpi hide his smile, of coarse his charge would pick that one, it was his favorite. It had been Inu no Taishou's first gift to him, a long white kimono with red trim and black snakes coiling around the sleeves and lower-hem, it also had slits on the sides to his mid-thighs, giving him freedom of movement but also showing of his long and slender legs. Demons both male and female would be trying to seduce him, Sesshomaru's revenge for not saving him from his father's lecture.


	3. Chapter 3

Long before they arrived at the grand hall, Sesshomaru and Henpi could hear the sounds of music and voices that drowned out the echo of their soft steps through the corridor.

Henpi, standing three respectful paces behind, watched as the muscles of his charges back tense and strain beneath the rich silk. He felt, even as his lord's stride never changed, the building of pressured tension in the air around them. Quick steps brought him around the young dog demon, far enough away as to not collide but still close enough to request attention. Not even the summer past Henpi would have stopped to close and let Sesshomaru bump into him, a sign of affection and trust between the two of them. That would stop after this night, and soon, Henpi would not dare step in front of his lord for anything other than to defend him. When a Daiyoukai reached the age of twelve, they were no longer considered babes that were too young to be seen, and though they were not considered true children or even adolescents yet either, they started to be weaned of the small comforts of denhood.

Three years. Three small, measly years were all Henpi had left to be his lord's friend and equal. Soon he would be nothing more than a familiar, remembered shadow.

To wean young Daiyoukai of their comforts, their denhood guards were sent away.

Henpi did not know where he would be sent to, perhaps to another pup of the Western Court, perhaps to a far outpost to defend his lord's lands, he might even be 'encouraged' to take a mate and start his own clutch. It was not meant to feel like a punishment, but to every caretaker, it was nothing less.

" My Lord," he said, dropping to his knee without pause, as if his thoughts had not just lasted for what felt like minutes, " This shall be your Coming Out ceremony, the first time demons outside of the palace are to see you. May this one suggest warning and tact?"

Sesshomaru watched him silently, a Coming Out ceremony was what all Daiyoukai had, whether they were coming out of the 'den' or 'nest', it was to acquaint them with the outside world in a safe environment. He nodded for his guard to continue; he knew what was to happen and what was expected of him from his lessons with the tutors, but reading about something and pure information were two very different things. Henpi would know who to avoid and who to be careful about.

" Your mother, the lady Hanayoru shall be attending as you have been weaned of her milk for over half of a year, and as such much attention will be on her to see if she has given the Dog Tribe a healthy heir." The silver haired child dipped his head slowly; he would not be the only one under close scrutiny that night. " Many of the nobles will not confront you, and you are not to confront them unless your father or mother instruct, for they are here more to show allegiance to your father than in interest of your ceremony."

All demons of social standing and power were required to attend any ceremony held by the lord under whom they served and lived or had alliances with. Which was usually always unless in times of war between the major Daiyoukai, for more a show of continuing loyalty and non-hostility than an actual wish to be present. " As such, the pack leader of the wolf demons in the North, Kiba, is here for such a reason, as recently his own heir was born and he will not wish to truly be in the palace tonight. Nobles from the Moon court, who are cousins of your father shall be there as well, along with your mother's brothers, the snake demons." Sesshomaru could detect the slightest tremour of excitement in Henpi's voice as he talked of his mother's siblings, though it was not to be unexpected, as the Snake nobles rarely left the South to go anywhere. Henpi was the only Snake Sesshomaru had ever met. " It is to be expected that a noble from the East, though it is unknown who, shall be present as well. The Dragon leader and his son shall be present this evening, along with your father's blood-brothers, the twins Hantai and Aichaku." They both knew there would be many others present, but those were the known main movers-and-shakers of the chessboard that was the court.

Henpi knelt silently in front of Sesshomaru as the young Dog lord rolled the names and few faces he could attach with them, from descriptions from the adults around him, in his head. He trembled the slightest bit in a mixture of excited adrenaline and fear, but he did so without worry, for he knew that it would stay between only him and the Snake before him.

The silver-haired child visibly prepared himself by straightening his shoulders and raising his chin before striding forward with all the confidence of being the future Inu no Taishou, Henpi swiftly stepped aside and then behind his Lord as they traveled the last stretch between them and the hall.

As the doors loomed ever closer, like the time of his Lord's weaning, Henpi felt for the first time in centuries the wish to disobey an order from his friend, the Inu no Taishou. The over-whelming urge to grab Sesshomaru around the waist and spirit him from the castle, the court, his future, almost brought him to his knees.

After such an emotional assault, many would not be able to continue, but Henpi took it in stride and brought up his mind defenses, a skill he had painfully learned at the hands of someone from so long ago that he forgot them almost completely, only the sense and lost whisper of a serpentine name reminded him of the being.

Two lower-class demons flanked the entrance and opened the way when they approached. The inside of the grand hall was always an impressive sight to anyone who laid their eyes upon it. With it's gleaming marble floors, elaborate paintings of some of the great accomplishments and battles of Inu no Taishou's long past, and the deep polished sheen of exposed wood on the doors that led to a hand-full of attaching rooms and the arching ceilings. The many colours of clothes and glittering jewels of the gathered nobles enhanced the beauty of the hall that night. None seemed to notice that closing of the doors until the Inu no Taishou turned abruptly from his conversation with a pale, androgynous being, and all voices stopped as he stepped up behind his son and put his hand firmly on his offspring's shoulder.

" I thank you all for coming this evening to my heir's Coming Out ceremony, your presence shall be remembered by myself and my lands." The Dog lord's deep voice reached every corner of the room as he went over the traditional speech given at every Coming Out. Thanks of attendance and promises of opening negations were first. " Sesshomaru is the child born of my union with the Lady Hanayoru. A union between the West and the South." The child's lineage and position in society are then lightly out-lined, along with his potential allies and protectors. " He is the first son of the West, the heir to the West, and the future Inu no Taishou." Lastly, the powers the child would have at his command.

Some nobles bent their heads in respect, while others watched quietly, analyzing the pup and coming to their own silent conclusions. The Lord of the West squeezed his son's shoulder lightly while he looked at Henpi, their gazes conferring an entire conversation, to which Henpi nodded and took his proper spot at Sesshomaru's shoulder as Inu no Taishou walked off to speak with other guests.

Sesshomaru considered his next move carefully, the first people he talked to would be noted by many. Scanning the crowd swiftly, he spotted his mother conversing quietly with two tall men with red hair, a pair of Inu-Youkai with black pelts hanging from their shoulders had joined the Inu no Taishou and the beautifully pale man. To his secret relief he noticed a welcomed familiar face standing by a far wall, and made his way over.

The man was taller than many of the other demons around him, and much thinner as well, his black clothes setting off his gold hair and purple eyes beautifully. His clothes were of a style that the Inu-Youkai did not recognize. Sesshomaru stopped the respectful distance away and nodded his head while Henpi bowed low. The man laughed good-naturedly as he tilted at the waist and with a flourish.

" Congratulations, young Sesshomaru, on the arrival of your Coming Out ceremony. It has been long awaited by many." If any being, be it youkai or human, found themselves face-to-face with a fox-demon, the suspicion of trickery would be suspected. But with the Lord-Advisor Shinrei it was the last thing that would need to be worried about, for he was not like others of his race. Shinrei was blunt to the point of rudeness and cruel to the point of being vicious and he could manipulate anyone to his will, by all logic he should not have been the Lord-Advisor to the Inu no Taishou, and one of the most powerful demons in the West.

" Thank you, Lord-Advisor Shinrei. But may I ask, what are you wearing?"

" Oh? This?" The blond man twirled. " It's the newest fashion for a religion from the continent. Quite entertaining, yes?"

Henpi snorted quietly and rolled his eyes, drawing both of the Daiyoukai's attention to himself. " You mean you seduced a priest and stole it."

Shinrei just threw back his head and laughed, drawing the attention of some of the other nobles around them. " Oh my dear Henpi, you haven't changed at all have you? Still have that stick so far-," hands slapped over Sesshomaru's ears, blocking out the rest of what Shinrei said, Sesshomaru frowned, why didn't he get to know what was being said? When Henpi finally removed his hands, the two older demons were still trading verbal blows.

" Fox-face."

" Scale hide."

" Nest robber."

" Rat breath."

" Excuse me, sir." All three turned at the new voice and saw a woman approaching, she stopped directly in front of Shinrei. " I couldn't help but notice your attire. Am I to assume you slew a priest and took his clothes as your own? What poor taste."

The Fox and the Snake shared a look over the Dog prince's head, their lips quirking in identical smirks. Turning to face the demoness Shinrei said, " Actually it is from a Kannushi, a head priest, do you know how hard I worked to get this? It took all of my best moves to seduce him, and even then it was like pulling teeth." The Fox smirked. " But it was worth every second."

" Lady Kishoubu, I don't believe you've been properly introduced." Henpi said. " Lord Shinrei, this is the Lady Kishoubu, daughter of Idai Kawa no Yama."

The blond demon quirked his eye-brow, lips curling cruelly, as the daughter of the Dragon lord paled at Henpi's words.

Shinrei had not recognized her as the daughter of his old acquaintance Kawa, she looked almost nothing like her father or her brother, Idai Tsuki no Yama, the Dragon heir. Her dark eyes were slightly too deeply set, her nose just too big, and her jaw to square, to be considered to be truly pretty. Shinrei would have thought it a shame for such a woman of nobility to be doomed to unattractiveness if not for the personality she had so gloriously showed him. Kawa and himself had been 'close' for a few years before Shinrei had become the Lord-Advisor, and if memory served, Kawa had remarried at some point after they has parted ways.

The she-demon only child of a second marriage with a father who already had four hatchlings and an heir, Kishoubu probably grew up being vicious and manipulative if the rumours of her mother were to be believed. It would take a blind man not to see the way she had looked at Henpi, the poor man was always attracting unwanted attention. Perhaps it would benefit to 'reconnect' with old Kawa?

His eyes widened as a thought struck him, " Henpi, my dear," Shinrei cooed, a smile stretching across his face as the Snake wearily looked at him, " Why don't you go dance with Lady Kishoubu?"

" I..uh..I don't-."

" Surely you wouldn't deny this young lady a dance? Would you, Henpi?"

Henpi's eyes promised slow and painful dismemberment and death as he was pulled away into the crowd of dancers, to which Shinrei just smiled and waved.

" Now that we've gotten rid of that sour-face, why don't we go mingle around, little lord?" The Lord-Advisor laughed, leading the future Inu no Taishou away.

The first thing that Henpi noticed about Lady Kishoubu was her sweaty hands, which distracted him for much of the dance, and made it hard to make conversation.

As they danced, he noticed her tense posture, in a move to put her at ease, he attempted to strike up conversation.

" I am surprised to see you hear, my Lady. I have noticed you have not accompanied your father to court for many years."

" Ah, so you have noticed my absence, my Lord." She crooned with a flutter of her eyelashes.

It felt like a lump had appeared in his throat when he swallowed, the dawning of dread creeping up his spine.

The end of the dance came after what felt like an eternity to Henpi, only to hear her request another dance to continue their conversation. At his attempt to decline, she moved in closer and pressed up against him.

" Surely the palace and your charge are safe now, of all times, with so many loyal to the Inu no Taishou present." A sly smile made it's way onto her face. " Unless, that is, you don't trust us?"

Henpi stiffened, his spine straightening, as he drew to his full height. " Remember that my _charge_ is the next Inu no Taishou. With that said I will grant you this dance, and then I must attend to my courtly duties."

After he left Lady Kishoubu, he attempted to find his young Lord in the crowded hall. Spotting Sesshomaru with Shinrei and a group of other nobles, he started forward, only to stop in his tracks as he noticed the Inu no Taishou beckoning him. As Henpi made his way through the crowd, he expertly dodged the attempts of two male demons trying to attract his attention. The Snake made a mental note to never wear the clothes to court ever again, no matter how many 'kicked-puppy' looks the Inu no Taishou gave him.

As he heeled beside the Great Dog, the white-haired demon smiled down at him. " Things seem to be going well, although," a seriousness crept into his voice, " there is still no sign of the representative of the East."

" Still?" Henpi inhaled sharply.

" Aa, and more troubling is it is supposed to be Hyounekozoku no Oyakata."

" My Lord, he is the Lord of the East, the leader of the Panther Tribe."

" Yes, it is most troubling."

As Henpi escorted Sesshomaru to his wing after the festivities came to an end. He put the distressing news of the missing Lord of the East from his mind. Listening to the child beside him talk animatedly about the evening, he had no idea of the ramifications that were to come from the absence of Hyounekozoku no Oyakata.


	4. Chapter 4

**Much love to FEARMEfrancis for becoming my beta! (I was beginning to think no one wanted the job!)**

**Between the two of us, this story has some actual direction now (So you readers can sigh in relief ^^) **

**This chapter is dedicated to FEARMEfrancis for becoming my beta and to Katsy17, CleverBast and LordOfTheWest for wishing me fun at the anime con! (Which I did, BEST YEAR EVER!) And to all the people who reviewed, there is much love for you too! And last, but not least, all you people who alerted/favourited my story and or my account! ^^ **

**Enjoy this, and all my other new stories (I'm updating a handful now, and then another massive update when those are done).**

**Nothing owned or gained.**

During the spring, human castles were portraits of blooming sakura trees, their scent perfuming the air and giving the gardens a sense of divinity.

Daiyoukai castles had no flowering trees or plants, the smells being too strong for their noses to be comfortable. Instead, their palaces were decorated with rock and sand and water.

Henpi lounged on a stone bench outside of his office, soaking in the sun's rays, his reptilian nature showing through. In the distance he heard the sound of Sesshomaru's voice, along with the voices of some of the other court children. Sluggishly, the warmth making him tired, he realised that the tutors must have let the hatchlings out early.

As he dosed on, avoiding the paperwork inside, he missed the soft clacking of geta on the wooden floors as another approached.

"If anyone had still doubted your pedigree before, this would shut them up right quick." The craggy voice of an old woman teased.

Henpi tilted his head farther back, a sharp rebuke on his tongue, until he realised who it was that was standing behind him. His eyes widened comically as he leapt to his feet, holding his kimono closed form where it had fallen open, revealing his torso. _When had that happened?_

"Lady Chiharu." Henpi said, trying to not trip over his words as his face was stained red. "I would hope that I have long since proven my heritage to this court and to my Lord."

The crone waved the comment away with her clawed hand. "I tease you, hatchling. Calm yourself before your belly-scales become dull from your rearing."

"My lady," Henpi spoke cautiously, "I have no scales on my belly…"

Chiharu's eyes sparkled in such a way that sent a shock down the general's back, a murky memory stirred briefly before slipping away again.

"My mistake, your stomach is very firm and defined, young one." She siged." If only I was a few millennia younger." It was impossible to choke on air, but Henpi's body attempted it anyway.

Lady Chiharu was rumoured to have been the most beautiful demoness in the West during her youth, but those centuries had long since passed. She was stooped now, and her pure white hair was wrapped around her neck like a scarf, but the blue moon of her family still stood out starkly on her forehead. She was the Lord Inu no Taishou paternal aunt, the sister of his father, and she had suckled and weaned the young lord when his mother had died in childbirth. She was also the most powerful Seer in the West, her skills in magic were undisputed.

He remembered when he had first come to the palace she had barely left him alone, trying to convince him to come and be her apprentice. _You have a talent for magic,_ she had said, but it was never to be. The thought of her mystical arts had set the hairs on his neck to standing straight, and he had steadfastly refused. The only reason she had given up was because the Inu no Taishou had stepped in to save his terrified friend.

"What can I do for you, lady?" Henpi asked politely, wishing she would leave.

The demoness stared at him, not answering, and he realised with a slight shiver of fear that she was no longer with him there, she was Seeing.

"You've been running for so long." She rasped, her voice seeming to echo. "Running and hiding from a past that will come to stand before you."

_What was she talking about? _He'd never run form anything in his life, he'd never had to, he'd always had the purpose of serving his Lord and his Lord's son. He told her as much and she laughed at him.

"In this life you haven't" Her smile was sharp. "But you did before you became one with the serpent. Before where your memories begin."

He knew what she was talking about instantly. His life before he was found by the Lord of the West in a field, surrounded by the bodies of humans. The blank in his life.

He barely kept himself from surging forward and shaking the answers form the woman. One of the few goals in his life could be standing right before him, just at his fingertips, he could almost taste it.

"What life before, Lady Chiharu?" He hissed urgently. "What life before? What do you mean, 'one with the serpent'?"

She didn't answer him, her eyes clearing as she came back to the then and there. Her gaze was sad as she looked at him, she wouldn't be able to tell him anything more. Henpi's shoulders fell the slightest bit before he regained his posture, it didn't matter what had happened before, he told himself, only the now matters.

"Thank you, milady. If you will excuse me, my signature is needed on my work." He waited until the dog-demon lady had turned the corner and disappeared farther into the gardens before he headed inside.

Henpi leaned against his closed door, trying to keep his composure as it slipped through his fingers like water. His chest heaved as sweat slid down his back and into his eyes, his entire body shaking so badly that that he slid down to the floor, his legs unable to support him.

This was ridiculous! He had no reason to be reacting this way, nothing was wrong and there was no danger around.

He clenched his fists so hard that his nails broke the skin and drew blood as he took control of himself again by pure will alone.

It didn't matter what had happened in his past, no matter how terrified his subconscious was.

He would only look forward.

-**LINEBREAK-**

It was warm, even in the shade of the pavilion that the sons of the court relaxed in. The sound of the wind in the trees and the cooling breeze from the pond were calming as the older boys talked and nibbled sweetmeats, while the younger boys chased each other around the grass with the younger girls.

As a group of boys ran by, one of them tripped and fell onto the grass. The others stopped and waited for the child to stand up, and then they all took off together again.

The oldest of the three in the pavilion laughed, a strained and wheezing sound, as he let his hand fall back to the railing from using his powers to raise a root to trip the younger child. Shoichi laughed to himself as his lungs struggled to give him enough air, his head falling back as he picked up another morsel of food and popped it into his mouth. His younger brother, Goro, shifted nervously, unsure of what to do, as his brother was as likely to hit him as he was to accept an offer of aide.

Sesshomaru stared at the two across from him, trying to hide his interest. Shoichi was the first born of one of the most prominent boar demons in the West. He was lucky enough to take after his mother, a beautiful earth spirit, but that was a trade for his poor health and even poorer nature.

Goro, the fifth son of the boar lord and his bride, took after his father. He had the beginnings of tusks protruding from his mouth, and the round face of his father's family, but as a sort of mirror to his elder sibling, he was kind and gentle.

"Brother please, you know that you're not supposed to use your abilities when your health is this bad." The younger brother pleaded.

Shoichi shrugged the comment off with a bitter smile, his eyes never leaving the other children in the garden. "If you don't take pleasure while you can, you might not get a chance to later." He finally looked at the both of his companions. "That's something the both of you should remember."

The younger boar opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped as the sound of voices approached.

A pair of girls, no older than Sesshomaru himself, rounded the corner from behind the trees, their heads bowed together as they spoke. The taller of the two was dressed in an elaborate, sea-foam green kimono, with dangling pins in her hair; she was thin in an elegant way with fair skin. Her companion was shorter and rounder with a red kimono, not as fancy or expensive as the other girls.

Sesshomaru recognized the girl in green immediately as the Lady Kotone, daughter of Chancellor Haruo, an influential song demon in the court. He'd never met the girl in person before, but he knew her from when Henpi had given him the private lessons on people who moved within the circles of the inner court and their children.

As if sensing his gaze, Kotone's eyes met his own. Their gazes held for a moment before she looked away, the fan she held in front of her face unable to hide her blush and shining eyes. Her friend noticed the exchange and led the taller girl away by her arm, throwing a glare Sesshomaru's way over her shoulder as they moved deeper into the garden.

Silence reigned for a heartbeat before Shoichi laughed; deep belly guffaws, almost falling off of his bench. "I think someone has a crush on you Little Prince." The older boy snickered. "You better watch out, her father has been currying your Sire's favour lately. You might just have a proposition for marriage coming your way soon!"

Sesshomaru felt a weight settle in his gut, and resisted the urge to run and hide behind Henpi's leg, wherever he was.


End file.
